The Viking Archer
by Fusion Palace
Summary: Just before her wedding with Douglas Macintosh is about to begin, Merida discovers that she was a ransom baby - snatched from her parents just after her birth during a vicious war between the Vikings and Celts. Desperate to avoid the marriage she went through to make her mother happy and bring peace to her kingdom, Merida journeys to Berk to reunite with her true family.
1. Disturbing Truths

_A/N: I haven't read any good 'Hiccup has a sister' stories on this fandom, so I thought after tirelessly searching for one - hey, why not write one myself? So here ya' go. Also, there's a twist! ;)_

_Disclaimer: I do not own the How to Train Your Dragon movie franchise or anything associated with it, Dreamworks does. Also, I do not make a profit by writing this. I also do not own Brave - only Pixar and Disney do. *sighs* _

_ATTENTION: Sorry there was a glitch last time, I write all of my stories on my Wattpad account (FusionPalace111) first, and I usually use the copy/paste system with Documents then I publish. Sorry for the inconvenience! _

**Chapter 01 - Disturbing Truths **

'Oh, darling. You look absolutely beautiful,' Queen Elinor of DunBroch gasped, as she gazed at her daughter dressed in a gorgeous, traditional Celtic wedding gown.

'Thank you, mother. I am...very happy.' Merida carefully replied. Ever since what the family dubbed as 'the bear incident' went through, she now reluctantly agreed to whatever her mother had said...after all, she had nearly lost her through her own selfishness and defiance. She couldn't go through the same traumatic experience again, or Merida was certain she'd never forgive herself.

The queen had assumed that her daughter was merely nervous, and also was not the sort of person to enjoy formal occasions. After all, Merida had agreed to marry a beneficial suitor - Douglas Macintosh, who was the younger brother of the leader's heir Merida had been presented to during the Highland Games which had occurred a few years ago. She knew she had to go through an allied wedding, or the clans would grow impatient once more and declare war - the kingdom would fall, to chaos and ruin, just as Merida's mother had warned.

'I'll go get your father, darling. Just wait here,' Queen Elinor told her daughter, who quickly obeyed the request. Once the queen had left and shut the door, Merida was left standing in the preparation room. Now, she was able to cry - if anyone got suspicious, she'd just tell them they were 'tears of joy'.

She had to sacrifice her happiness and freedom for her people.

Tears fell from her eyes and left tracks down her cheeks. Merida chocked back strangled sobs, for she did not wish for anyone to hear her despair and get suspicious or ask any questions. She sighed when she glanced around the room, and spotted her reflection. She looked just as she had at the Highland Games, except her dress was white to represent purity and innocence - the exact opposite of her true personality. She studied the room, and drank in every detail as she had done with all of the others inside the castle of DunBroch, for Merida knew that she might not ever come back.

Suddenly, her muffled sobs stopped, when her curious eyes spotted a chest draped in old cloths and blankets - it was covered in dust. This room was locked entirely until a royal wedding occurred, and considering how rare those occasions were, Merida was sure that the objects in here were very important to her parents. So, she raised herself from her pitiful, defeated position upon the floor and dragged her feet towards the wooden, seemingly simple chest. Merida held her breath when her shaky hands went to open it, and a small, genuine smile graced her lips for the first time in months

She looked inside the chest, and only found a letter that had been opened, with the blood-red seal still intact. And when she read the contents of the letter, she knew she could not go through with the wedding.

...

When the door opened, Merida quickly gathered herself and glared at her surprised mother.

'Merida, what on earth are you - oh, god! I...I,' the Queen faltered when her eyes trailed from the letter in a furious Merida's hands to the once forgotten chest that stood with its lid flung open, the dusty curtains and cloths had fallen around it in a pile material.

'You...you_ liar!_ I hate you, I hate you, I hate you I - w - what conceived you to even _do_ such a thing?' Merida thundered, drawing herself to her full height. Her fists were balled tight, knuckles red raw. Her cheeks had tinged as bright as her hair, and her eyes screamed murder.

'Merida, I can explain. It's not our fault...we were, at war with the Vikings. One of the soldiers that had infiltrated a land had captured one of the Viking leader's newborn babies, and suggested to Fergus that it be used as a ransom for surrender. But everything went wrong, and we...we couldn't have any children at the time. For years I believed myself to be barren after a childhood incident before the triplets were born, we were so desperate Merida.' The Queen sobbed, anguished for her family, her adoptive daughter and the entire kingdom - for surely, Merida had no reason to wed now. But Elinor was sure Merida loved Douglas...she had to! What about their various trips? The love soppy love letters? It was...something Merida would never in her right mind do.

_Of course, she did it for me._

'So...I'm a Viking?' Merida whispered, her face ashen.

'Yes. Your father is Stoic the Vast, a warrior and Chief of a distant land named Berk - your mother is his wife, Valka. They have a son, Hiccup - he is your older brother.' The Queen revealed with a pained expression.

...

_Author's Note: So, what are your thoughts? Please, review and let me know! *nods* _


	2. Runaway Bride

_Author's Note: Updates every Friday, remember that! I've got the entire story vaguely planned, so I shouldn't come across huge obstacles concerning writer's block. I'd love some feedback on the story! Thank you to those who informed me of the glitch in the last chapter. :)_

_Disclaimer: I do not own the How to Train Your Dragon franchise nor the movie Brave._

**Chapter 02: Runaway Bride**

Merida walked down the isle, consumed with confusion, grief and anger. Her parents (or should she even call them that?) had lied to her, deceived her and completely broke her trust in them. After everything we've been through together...why didn't they tell me the truth? I ought to know! Merida thought, fingers wound tight around a bunch of flowers.

She reached the altar and felt sick inside. Poor, poor Douglas - he would be humiliated within seconds. When did he deserve this? Merida did tolerate him. Douglas was a gentleman, he treated Merida with the utmost respect and dignity. For weeks, he had spoken of nothing but their future together, the joy their marriage would bring and the many heirs they would have.

'Do you Merida, take this man - Douglas, to be your beloved husband?' The priest croaked,his voice cracked and wheezed.

'I - I...' Merida stuttered, frozen in place as she turned to the guests of the wedding. 'I have to leave!' She cried suddenly. She sprinted towards the doors at the back, and covered her fac to avoid the aghast expressions of the people inside the room. Before she could leave, a hand roughly grabbed Merida's arm.

'You will NOT humiliate this clan - my son is your husband! You are a DunBroch, a Princess - and it's time you started acting like one.' The usually hearty leader of the Macintosh clan with a sense of humour growled, his eyes glinted like a madman.

'I have not agreed for your son to be my husband. And I am neither a DunBroch nor a Princess - I am the daughter of Stoic the Vast and his wife Valka, leader of the Hairy Hooligans that dwell upon a land called Berk. I am a Viking! Now, unhand me you beast.'

...

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock had a lot on his mind - for one, his father's recent death still plagued his mind, as did the reunion with his mother Valka. One parent gained, another lost - it was too much for Hiccup to bear. But there was a ray of hope amongst the darkness - Toothless was not alone in the world, not the last of his kind as many had previously presumed. The egg must be kept safe at all costs...yet another thing Hiccup worried about.

Here he was minding his own business, until he suddenly stops in his tracks - eyes wide.

Usually when he had a lot on his mind, Hiccup went on a flight with Toothless, but due to the discovery of the new egg, Toothless's presence would only plague Hiccup's mind with thoughts about it. So he went for a pleasant walk deep into the forest that served as an outline of the village Hiccup lived in.

There, lying down over a thick tree root was the figure of a girl - a woman, to be more precise. The wild, bright red tangle of hair and her graceful form slumped over the tree gave her gender away even from his distanced perspective.

Without a second thought, Hiccup rushed towards her. He brought himself to his knees to examine her, and jumped out of his skin with a surprised yell when the stranger actually moved.

'Wedding...ran. No - no food. Walking, for days and days and...urgh.' The woman forced herself to speak, which only made the situation worse, for she had began to quietly sob and whimper as she clutched her stomach and groaned in pain.

'Hey, hey, hey! Look, I'll help you - I'll take you back to Berk. My name's Hiccup, don't worry. What's yours?' He assured, curious as to exactly who this strange woman garbed in a soiled wedding gown was.

'Merida, my name is Merida.' She gasped with all of the strength she could muster, until her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she went limp in Hiccup's arms.

...

_Author's Note: What do you think about the story? Review and tell me, please. Constructive criticism is welcomed and appreciated! ^^_


	3. Into the Forest and Over the Highlands

_Author's Note: Thanks to all of you who have so far given me support for the story - I'm glad you like it!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own How to Train Your Dragon or Brave - only Dreamworks, Pixar and Disney do._

_**Chapter 03: Into the Forest and over the Highlands**_

As Hiccup tried and failed to bring the girl to his village after various attempts, he desperately wished that he had actually brought Toothless with him - but it was not possible. For one, if he had gone on a flight that afternoon, then he would not have found the stranger in the first place. Secondly, if he returned to the village to fetch Toothless, then he might not know how to find her again, which would be terrible because without his assistance - she would surely not survive for long.

'Okay, upsy-daisy.' He grunted, as he used his final solution - Hiccup used a soft, flat stretch of bark to carry the woman to his home so she could receive medical help. He placed her form flat upon the naturally made stretcher-like object after some time, once he had caught his breath, Hiccup dragged the stretcher with both arms towards Berk.

...

'Hiccup, where have you been? The others and I have been so worried these past few hours.' Valka gasped as she threw her arms into a bear hug around her son, who returned the gesture gratefully.

'Uh, mom. When I was out in the woods, there was a young woman. I found her barely alive, so I brought her here to get help.' Hiccup explained, he lead his mother by the hand into the front room - where a young woman was carefully placed along a stuffed couch covered with fur.

'Did she say anything? Was she concious?' Valka asked in a soft, gentle tone. She continued to stare, eyes focused on nothing but the frighteningly familiar young woman before her.

'Barely, I guess she's been travelling on her own for a long time. I could barely understand what she was saying, until I got to piece together the little bits of information on the way.' Hiccup informed, and continued.' She said she was in some sort of wedding - and I guess by her dress, she was the bride. Something must have caused her to run away from the event...she seemed very distressed. Oh yeah, her name's Merida.' He said, carefully waiting for some sort of reaction or order from his mother.

'It can't be...not possible...she's supposed to be dead - I'd - I'd recognize her anywhere.' Valka's voice was barely a whisper. Her hand shook as she brought it to her the woman's face, exactly as she had when she had first met Hiccup - she remembered the tiny, fragile babe with blue eyes and wisps of curly red hair. She couldn't hold it in anymore, so she cried.

'Mom, what's wrong? W - why are you crying?' Hiccup blurted as he threw an arm across her mother's back. 'Hey, what's wrong?' He asked again.

'I should have told you, but after the death of your father - I didn't think you'd be able to handle this kind of information. She's not just any stranger, Hiccup. She's...she's...' Valka was breathing heavily, a panicked, wild expression had crossed her face.

'Who is she mom? Who is she?' Hiccup cried out, eyes wide. He hadn't expected this kind of reaction from his mother.

'You weren't an only child, Hiccup. You had a fraternal twin, a sister. She was taken from the Celts during a war we had with them twenty years ago - and I, I thought she had died after her kidnapping...this stranger, this woman is your sister. Merida Malicious Haddock.' Valka revealed.

...

'Get back here you treacherous wench! I'll have your head displayed outside my castle - no filthy Viking escapes my clutches!' Lord Macintosh declared as Merida ran as fast as her legs could carry her to the castle stables where her noble steed, Angus was kept.

'Come on Angus, let's get out of here!' Merida ordered as she hurled herself onto the loyal shire horse that quickly went into a full gallop towards the Scottish moors and highlands. She gasped when a stream of arrows that belonged to the Macintosh clan had been directed straight towards her - many of the arrows had missed, but one had lodged itself into her right shoulder and another gave Merida a thin gash alongside her cheek, she cried in pain at the assault from the sea of arrows.

'Stop, don't hurt her - please!' Merida's heart ached when she heard the pleading voice of her mother, Elinor. She's not your mother, she lied to you, a voice pushed itself at the forefront of Merida's thoughts. She gritted her teeth, eyes ablaze with fury once more as she escaped the attack from the Macintosh clan - she noticed no arches from the Dingwall nor the McGuffin clans, and for that she was grateful. At least they were thinking things through and had been more hesitant than Lord Macintosh.

Merida did not look back, as she escaped the wedding and attack from the furious Macintosh clan. As she went further and further into the forest, Merida thought - I'm coming home mother, father, brother...

...

Merida thanked her lucky stars that she wasn't a prim and proper lady. But if you were, none of this mess would have happened...she reminded herself, as Angus huffed and puffed into a trot, exhausted after the pair of them had escaped the dramatic finale to Merida's celtic wedding with her betrothed, Douglas.

Since she was old enough to take long rides on her own, the further Merida went, the more she learned with experience about the wild. However during her journeys, she had always been prepared - the kitchen maids had always packed her food in case she got hungry, and Merida now did not have that luxury. But as a child, she did pick berries and were taught which foods in the woods were good or bad with her mother.

God, why do I still call her that? Merida mentally growled.

Merida's stomach made an 'un-lady liike' noise, as if a small creature was inside her stomach. I'm hungry...I'd better find something to eat, Merida decided. She had not dis-mounted her horse Angus yet, just in case the Macintosh clan had gone further than she had expected and were on a wild hunt to assure her return.

But no matter how hard she concetrated on using the survival skills she had gained over the years, Merida had only so far found a fistfull of berries, which was dissapointing. She used her ears to listen to running water, but there was no sound even remotely like it, and Merida grew anxious. She'd be reaching the highlands soon...winter was coming, and she wanted to be prepared - the nearest kingdoms belonged to the Dingwall and Macintosh clans. If not them, then there were a clutch of Celtic allies kept in handy. Merida had a feeling that Lord Macintosh wouldn't give up so soon nor on his word to kill her - after all, she was a Viking, and the Vikings were one of the Celts' greatest enemies next to the Romans.

Merida ate the half of the berries and gave the rest to Angus, for they both needed their strength for the long journey ahead.

'What have I done? I've ruined everything - again.' Merida muttered under her breath. A tear slid down her cheek, as she thought of both of her families. Her poor parents - their lives might be in just as much danger as hers was, they could very easily be killed for treason or some other hogwash, the kingdoms despised Vikings - and the thought of a most treasured ally raising one right under their noses all along must have been unconceivable and a mortifying realisation. And the parents she had been kept from, her brother...would they welcome her, or scrutinise her Celtic upringing?

Merida's mind was so clouded and full of thoughts that she hardly knew that any time had passed at all. She frowned at the darkening sky, and set Angus into a full gallop across the highlands. She was shivering, for Merida had left her cloak along with her bow and arrow inside the castle back in DunBroch. Soon enough, everything dawned on her...she had abandoned the family that had raised her and been through a lot with Merida (despite how she came to be a Princess of DunBroch, she was still grateful that they hadn't killed her and had taken her in as one of their own), she abandoned her kingdoms and former allies, she had abandoned her fiancee-would-have-been-husband-by-now (the poor sod must feel so humiliated now, Merida thought), and she had left with no plan of survival nor motivation either. It was a spur of the moment she now wished she had more time to consider - would she gain anything from this? There was now a slim chance of finding happiness, and Merida knew that now.

...

Had it been days, weeks, months? Merida did not know. Her stomach was used to having a hearty meal fit for a Princess of her status (after all, she was a Princess!), and so the berries hadn't filled her up for long. She had scavanged for food - even resorting to feeding herself and Angus field mice and birds. It was disgusting, but she had no choice or she'd starve. But it was nearing winter now, and Merida was tired - she had travelled endlessly in search of civilisation - but any kingdoms, villages or homes she had discovered so far were allied with the three Scottish clans.

'Thank heavans!' Merida mentally cheered, as she finally spotted a forest. The further she went in the pressumed safe forest, Merida noted that her noble steed Angus was growing more and more anxious with every step of his heavy hoof. Suddenly, Merida was thrown back onto the dirt, as an unseen winged creature fled from a tree and scared away Angus.

'A-angus - come...back!' Merida's strangled scream called desperately. As she tried to support herself, Merida finally realized how weak she had become during her travels - with her horse Angus to support her, she hadn't needed much of her strength during her time in the highlands.

Now completely spent, Merida was motionless - draped along a gigantic tree root. She willed herself to sleep, but had noticed the presence of a person nearby. Who was this? An ally, an enemy? There was no fine line between the two of them now. She forced herself to speak, to explain herself - anything to get some help!

'Wedding...ran. No - no food. Walking, for days and days and...urgh.' Merida's stomach gave a lurch as she spoke. Everything was hurting to much! She was starved of food, with no energy left within her. As she looked up, she could see a boy that appeared to be about her own age stare back at her, flabbergasted - his skin was fair, with green eyes and dark hair. She wondered who he was.

'Hey, hey, hey! Look, I'll help you - I'll take you back to Berk. My name's Hiccup, don't worry. What's yours?' Hiccup as in, her brother Hiccup? Merida couldn't believe her luck! She had to say something before she left the conscious world around her.

'Merida, my name is Merida.' She gasped with all of the strength she could muster, until her head rolled into the back of her eyes and she went limp in Hiccup's arms.

...

_Author's Note: Dun, dun, dunnnn! What did you guys think? Review and let me know, please. Feedback is very much welcomed. As usual, updates will be every Friday or at an earlier date depending on my schedule._

**_Responses to Reviews_**

_AlexJD2:__ Thank you for telling me about the glitch - as I said in the PM, it took me a while to understand what on earth you were talking about. But yeah, I write my drafts on Wattpad because it's easier than uploading from Microsoft Word blah, blah, blah, blah. Also, I don't think Merida will know about the dragons just yet - so you'll have to wait and see! And yes, Vikings such as Astrid would of course react badly to Merida's upbringing._

_imaginationflies:__ My thoughts exactly! That's why I started this story, because I was frustrated that nobody had thought through some wild theory, that Merida and Hiccup could possibly, in some absolutely insane way be related - like the connection between Elsa, Anna and Rapunzel despite coming from seperate movies. And I'm glad to know that you liked it. :)_

_KazeChi:__ There you go! Merida's journey is explored during her revival to health. I hope you're satisfied with how it went - I know that I was when I finally finished it. And in the PM when you mentioned the Night Fury egg, that will be explained in time too - the pace can't be rushed in this story, first I have to explore the healing process between Valka, Hiccup and Merida. She'll have her dragon when she's adapting to the Viking world. _

_wavering shadow:__ Thank you very much! ^^ And yeah, I'll try and edit the documents and add spoiler warnings - thanks for the heads up! The Night Fury egg is my own addition to the story, but that will soon be explored once Merida and her biological family sort things out._

_RandominatorOwl: __Updated! You sound so excited - I'm glad my story has that impact on people. What did you like about it exactly? :)_


	4. Alfifa

_Author's Note:__ So sorry I haven't updated! I'll spit out two chapters as an apology gift - now stop pelting me with rotten fruit and go read the story please. ;)_

_Disclaimer:__ I do not own the How To Train Your Dragon franchise and the movie Brave - Dreamworks, Pixar and Disney do. I don't make a profit out of writing this. (Ha, I wish!)_

**Chapter 4: Alfifa **

'Merida, darling - wake up, please.' A warm, gentle voice coaxed her daughter with an air of obvious concern. _How_ _does she know my name?_ Merida mentally panicked at the prospect of someone knowing her identity - even worse and after all of her travelling, perhaps a member of the clans or one of their allies had found her and brought her back to her lands or a neighbouring kingdom.

'M - mother?' She croaked. Her voice showed obvious signs of dehydration - her entire throat felt dry and uncomfortable...had she been neglected by her captors? Merida wondered.

'I'm here darling, I'm right here.' After some time Merida's eyes were forced open, and the odd mix of shapes and colours merged into some kind of form she could finally decipher. She was lying down with her back, supported by a bundle of stuffed pillows that were the most comfortable things her painful and now crooked back (from all of those nights spent sleeping on rocks or against trees) had lain on after many merciless months. She still found herself (and grimaced when she saw it and recalled everything that had happened) dressed in her soiled wedding gown that promised a ruined beauty and when Merida looked in the mirror, she sighed - she looked an absolute wreck with a complexion of wax. Red, glassy eyes and dirty, grazed skin riddled with cuts and bruises alongside sharp cheekbones to prove her lack of food was eminent.

She furrowed her brows as her eyes glazed across the unfamiliar room with unfamiliar faces. There was a woman she supposed was the nurse, the boy that had saved her and a stranger sitting beside her - the stranger puzzled her, for she had accepted the fact that Merida had called her mother.

'But, you're not my mother.' Merida replied. Her eyebrows rose dramatically, eyes filled with bafflement as she saw the woman falter, and her eyes glisten with unshed tears.

'A - apologies. I might as well get this done and over with and introduce everyone. Merida, this is Alof, the healer that's been treating you since you were found in the woods by my son Hiccup...I'm sure you remember him.' Valka introduced, Alof bowed in respect (Merida prayed the nurse had no idea that she was a noble of any sort, but she supposed her clothing had given it away immediately) and Hiccup just stood there, only stopping to stare at his sibling when he was caught by Merida.

'Valka, Hiccup? Am I actually having a hallucination now?' Merida asked. Mouth agape as she stared at the two people - her apparent family of flesh and blood who were merely inches away from her.

'Merida, do you...do you know about _us?'_ Valka put a greater emphasis on the 'us', and gestured to herself, Hiccup and Merida with only her eyes.

'I only found out a few months ago - short story long, I had to marry someone I did not love so the clans wouldn't declare war and assume my kingdom, DunBroch was an unfaithful ally and was not to be trusted. On the wedding day I was very upset, because I had to go through with it and be a delicate wife that's only purpose was to produce heirs for the throne - of course I hated the prospect. So when I found a letter that described how I was taken from Berk during a war and was related to your family, it was my only chance to escape my dreaded fate - my mother found out that I knew, but she thought I'd go through the entire thing because it was too late.' Merida winced as she recalled all of the things she had said to the woman who had raised her into the strong warrior she was today (no matter how unintentional it was).'But I sort of left halfway through the ceremony - right at the moment I was supposed to say 'I do' for my dramatic exit, and I left. Except Lord Macintosh tried to force me into the ceremony, but I managed to leave the Church - when I began to ride to the forest on Angus, I had the entire Macintosh clan after me with their weapons. A bow lodged itself into my arm here-' Merida pointed to the miniature, deep but healing wound that had left a permanent scar on her shoulder,' and got scratched by a few of them. I travelled to Berk, avoiding the allied kingdoms so my journey took months and, well here I am.' Merida motioned at her sickbed, relieved that she had finally got the thing that had been pressing down on her for so long off her chest at last.

'Oh, you poor thing. I know that it must be over-whelming for you and I should tell you this later, but the Vikings have spotted you being carried unconscious and barely alive by Hiccup into our home to be healed, so there's bound to be some curiosity about your identity, and obviously-' Valka explained, hoping her daughter wasn't one to be emotionally invested in such situations. But such an occurrence could break even the toughest of spirits, and so Valka didn't want to pass her daughter as a silly maiden that had ran scared from a wedding, it had happened before every once in a while - had it not?

'They wouldn't welcome a Celt with open arms, even if I have pure Viking blood in my veins. I was brought up by them, raised into their traditions and culture. No fraternising with the enemy.' Merida interrupted, to indicate that she fully understood the situation she was in. God forbid if the villagers ever found out that she was a _Celtic Princess_ out of all things, they should surely revolt and demand her to be banished or be deemed a bastard child of Stoic and Valka, which she wasn't - but still, she was a Celt and they were Vikings. Rules didn't matter when you were angry and had your arch nemesis on your doorstep, and Vikings weren't known for their common sense or rationality in general either if you put it into a wider context.

'So after a while we wracked our brains and thought up a plan. You can choose a Viking name, and live as a mute with our people after you've fully healed - after all, no matter how lovely your accent is, it doesn't change the fact that you were raised a Celt. Let the people get to know you, to trust you, and everything will fall into place.' Valka informed, her hand trembled as she grasped her daughter's pale one. 'Do you understand?' She asked.

'Uh, yes. About that, I don't exactly know many Viking names. Sure there were a few in the stories my parents told me as a child, but I don't know what they mean - names can oddly say a lot about a person, in public opinion.' Merida confessed, now wishing she actually listened to her mother during History classes instead of doodled on her parchment.

'Oh yes, names are important in Viking culture too. Merida is a Spanish name, but it would surely raise some questions - especially from those who remembered the days of our war with the Celts, and how a certain chief's daughter was stolen from her cradle by the enemy whilst her twin slept soundly beside her.' Valka pointed the situation at hand and shifted in her seat a bit. 'You'd have to have a new name, of course. How about the name Akleja? It's a type of flower.' Valka suggested, she and Hiccup chuckled when Merida stuck her tongue out and scrunched her nose up in distaste for the name.

'Okay, maybe not. Hey Merida, do you have a hobby you like or something?' Hiccup asked, speaking for once after his un-chararistic silence, usually he would be much more opinionated in such a situation - Valka credited it to the shock of it all, stunned into silence.

'I like archery.' Merida admitted, wearing a ghost of a smile upon her face. She recalled her care-free days out, of travelling the forest and highlands without fear of being captured or starvation, the days of freedom.

'Well how about Alfifa? It means archer girl.' Hiccup suggested, he smiled visibly when his sister reacted with enigmatic enthusiasm. She nodded her head fervently in approval.

'I like it, suits perfectly.' Merida repeated the names in various kinds of voices, reminding Hiccup of the times he spent impersonating people. 'Well, what to do now? I was hoping to meet Stoic when he comes back...have you told him?' Merida asked, itching to meet your father yet oblivious of the situation. She noticed that Valka and Hiccup's expressions of joy fell immediately.

'Oh, darling. You see, your father Stoic died not too long ago. He died in battle, saving your brother's life in the process,' Valka revealed, the tears she had kept at bay finally fell in silence as she watched her daughter's crestfallen face. Hiccup too, had on a pained expression as he recalled his father's recent death.

'H-he's dead? I haven't had a chance to...to...me - et h-him?' Merida hiccuped through her tears, whilst her mother and brother hugged her in sympathy. Suddenly, a crash and an audible growl from downstairs took Merida out of her stupor. 'What was that?' She gasped, voice raspy after her bout of tears and eminent crying - she did not spot her older brother wince, but she did hear him mutter something unintelligible.

'Oh, it's nothing. We have a pet dog that comes and goes all the time - I don't think you'll see him often, he likes the outdoors.' Hiccup explained, wide-eyed and frantic, he sighed in much relief when Merida accepted what he had told her without a trace of suspicion.

'I get it, back at the castle in DunBroch, my family kept three Irish Wolfhounds - you probably wouldn't know what they look like. They have black fur, are agile and energetic, so I'm used to unexplained loud noises like that, I'm used to it.' Merida confided with a smile and a twinkle of her eye as she remembered the three dogs - those thoughts immediately brought her to memories of her rebellious younger triplet brothers, Hamish, Hubert and Harris.

'Lovely. Now you rest up tonight dear, you've got a big day ahead of you tomorrow. I'll have our nurse give you a short check up in the morning, and then you can greet the villagers - remember darling, you're supposed to be a mute. Don't speak, because those Vikings can sniff out a Scottish accent a mile away.' Valka warned. She hugged her daughter before she left the room with the healer/local nurse, who had been sworn to an oath of secrecy.

'I'll stay with you.' Hiccup announced. He dragged his wooden chair closer to Merida's sick-bed. For a while, there had been a comfortable silence - until Merida asked;

'Hiccup, what was our father like?' Her eyes trailed from the ceiling to his face, and she regretted taking him off-guard.

'Dad? Well, he was brave, always thought of others, and was a great leader.' Hiccup replied, eagerly he went off into a world of memories he had shut out due to his grief over Stoic's death - how he had gone fishing with his father, the great tales Gobber had told him of Stoic's victorious battles, and much more. He stopped half way through a story, when he noticed his sister yawning as she snuggled into a pillow. Hiccup smiled as he watched her sleep, unaware that she dreamed of Queen Ellinor, a witch, the demon bear Mordu and an unforgettable curse.

**Responses to Reviews**

_wavering shadow:__ Well the English at one point were Vikings the same time the Scottish were prominent Celts, so think of the characters just living in Ancient Britain. It's so cool writing this story, because I've got Viking and Celtic ancestry (I'm Welsh) - I hope that explains the geography aspect! Thank you, it took me while finding a middle name - it's not as if I can stick Jane in or anything, is it? _

_Randominator Owl:__ Thank you! I think I actually read the same story as you, but I was dissapointed with how rushed the story seemed and that the author looked as if he/she has abandoned it - I could hardly find anything that didn't include the genre 'Romance' in the Crossover section, so I thought hey, why don't I write my own story? And if it gets a ton of reviews, then other people will try and use the same concept of my story but with their own unique spin of it - I was hoping for a chain reaction sort of thing. _

_And thanks for the suggestions on what breed of dragon Merida should have when she gets her own._


	5. The Hairy Hooligans

_Author's Note:__ Okay, here's chapter 5 as promised - I felt really bad for leaving the story for a while, but I was honestly busy with ALevel work to do!_

_Disclaimer:__ I do not own the How to Train Your Dragon franchise or the movie Brave. The companies Dreamworks, Disney and Pixar Studios do. I do not make a profit in writing this. (Ha, I wish!)_

**_Chapter 5 - The Hiary Hooligans_**

'So, you ready for this?' Hiccup asked his sister, as he and Meri - *cough* 'Alfifa' exited the sick room after she was checked over by the healer, who had declared that she was healthy enough to be up and about on her own by now - she only had some cuts and bruises that would heal in no time, she had informed.

Merida nodded eagerly, she was practicing her alias as a mute stranger, she did not want to let something slip on her first day out in Berk as 'Alfifa'. Her blue eyes drank everything in - Berk was unusual, but the strangest thing were it's numerous towering formations that scattered the land. Merida scratched it up to the fact that Berk bordered the island it shared with the Scottish and Welsh Celtic clans, but she noted that some lands she visited that were near water had none of these strange posts, just various scouts and watchmen that stood at the top of the royal castles.

'Okay, I've got to teach a class at the local school about dragons - so you can hang out with the gang, ah, here they are!' Hiccup responded with much ethusiasm. As he ran down a slope the pair had been walking down to greet his friends, Merida followed with her brows furrowed, thinking of what he had just said._ Dragons? _

'Hey Hiccup, is that the girl you found last week? She's hot.' Snotlout declared, he grabbed Merida's hand and kissed it. 'Charmed to meet such a fine specimen...would you care for a date?' He asked, after releasing her hand he wiggled his eyebrows.

'Snotlout, seriously? You're disgusting.' Hiccup's expression turned sour as he witnessed the exchange, he had no way of saying 'hands off', unless people mistook it for him having romantic feelings towards his sister (and they had no clue about his family ties to her, so it would be gross for him to even_ think_ about.) 'Okay, we're getting off topic here. Guys, this is Alfifa. She's the mute I found last week.' Hiccup introduced. Merida waved, she had composed herself after Snotlout's flirtatious advances surprised her - she usually only got attention because she was a Princess, but obviously these people had no clue about her status until they were to be told about it. Merida had changed out of her wedding dress and had it folded in a locked up chest (ironically enough), she was now dressed in regular Viking garb and had her her left wild and unkempt.

'How do you know her name?' Tuffnut asked, as he eyed Hiccup and Merida with evident suspicion, as the others did too after his question.

'She can write, and yes - she is a Viking Noble. That's why she's allowed to stay with my mother and I, but we don't know how long she's going to be here, so we might as well make her as comfortable as possible,' Hiccup told the group, who all took this as a reasonable explenation as to why 'Alfifa' could communicate when she clearly was not capable of it merely through speech.

'How did she get here?' Ruffnut asked, she voiced the question that was on everyone's mind. Merida frowned, she hated it when people acted as though she weren't in their presence - it happened all the time at home with her mother Queen Ellinor, and more often than not the guests that regularly dined with the DunBroch royal family during negotiations King Fergus often had with their allies...who might as well be Merida's enemies now.

'Well, she wrote to explain that her village was raided by the Macintosh clan from Scotland, and so she fled - her status as a noble made her a target for them, and so she escaped and ended up here.' Hiccup explained the very fabricated lie he had created with his mother. Valka suggested a sympathy story and for bonus points, it could include Merida's so called home being raided by one of the Scottish clans for evidence - but Merida insisted that only the Macintosh clan be given a bad name, after all, they were the only group to attack the moment she left the altar. The Dingwall and McGuffin clans had not shot a single arrow at her person, surely she would have been killed had all three clans attacked Merida during her escape.

There was a collective murmur and various gasps of shock that could be heard from Hiccup's friends.

'That's awful, what happened to your relatives?' Astrid asked, she displayed a rare moment of emotional attachment to a person - after all, her deceased mother had been killed when she was younger by a Scottish enemy. But Astrid didn't like the fact that Alfifa was going to be almost constantly in such close proximity with her boyfriend though, but perhaps she was just being paranoid. After all, in such a situation someone such as Alfifa would have no time for romance..._would she?_

Merida's eyes flashed, displaying a mixture of sadness and regret, but also fear for what the clans would do to the people who had raised her for bringing up the daughter of a sworn arch enemy. She shrugged her shoulders, bit her lip and shook her head back and forth several times to tell them the truth - she didn't know, and it was worse wondering whether they had survived or not than being completely sure that they were dead, it gnawed at her insides more than anything - the gripping guilt she hadn't felt since 'the bear incident'.

'That's horrible.' Ruffnut mumbled, for once she nor her brother were able to joke about a serious situation. To lighten the mood and change the topic, Fishlegs declared;

'Hey guys, wanna ride?' He grinned widely, but the rest only glared in response. The twins each rolled their eyes alongside Astrid, Snotlout growled and made a face-palm and Hiccup looked just about ready to admonish something - all eyes however, turned to Merida when all they could see her do was gallop and lift both hands up and down at the same time to demonstrate an activity, finally something clicked inside Hiccup's head.

'Ah, yes, what Fishlegs here meant was whether anyone wanted to go_ horse-riding_ with him or not.' He put a greater emphasis on the word of the activity, and explained as if he were speaking to a group of children instead of full grown adults. Merida's eyebrows rose, and she gave her brother a pointed look as if to say, 'what was that about?'

'That's not what I mea-ngh!' Fishlegs blurted, until Snotlout elbowed him in the ribs.

Merida nodded with much enthusiasm at the suggestion, leaving the friends utterly bewildered at what to do...they couldn't ride horses. Well, Tuffnut had learnt a little including a couple of Vikings in the area, but due to the people's usage of boats as parts of their international raids more so than horses, they didn't have an expertise in the activity. Well, many of the older men were decent since it had been a required activity for land battles - but now they had dragons, there was no need to declare war unless someone attacked their land, after all, the Vikings of Berk now had dragons at their side!

'Well c'mon, the stables are that way.' Snotlout directed with confidence. But before Merida had even directed her eyes towards her desired location, she lifted her arms and made the gesture of doing archery. Hiccup ran towards Gobber's place before anyone could say something, he had to hide the dragons before Merida arrived.

...

'Gobber, I need your help!' Hiccup cried as he panted at the threshold of the workshop.

'What is it lad, did Toothless's harness come loose or something?' Gobber asked, as he kept hammering at a piece of metal. Once Hiccup had caught his breath, he reached his father's life-long friend and said;

'The girl, Merida -' he coughed,' Alfifa, she wants an arrow so she can do archery. She'll be here any minute, you've got to hide the dragons Gobber. She can't find out, not yet!' Hiccup explained breathlessly, eyes wide as he held a hand dramatically to his chest.

'Did you say what I thought you just said?' Gobber murmured, he eyed the son of his deceased friend and put down whatever he had been working on.

'W-what?' Hiccup breathed, stiff as a board.

'You said Merida, lad. The name of...never mind, forget I said anything.' Gobber turned back to hammering the metal he had been working on before he had been interrupted by the current Chief of Berk.

'Gobber, I know about my sister - and that girl apparently named Alfifa, she's Merida.' Hiccup revealed, unable to contain the life changing secret from his most trusted companion any longer.

'By the Valhar, we all thought she was dead! Hiccup, do you realise how important it is to tell everyone?' Gobber admonished, shocked further than the sentence he had previously said as he shook Hiccup with his artificial hand and his live one.

'No, no we can't tell anyone. She was raised by the Celts Gobber - Celts, our greatest enemy next to dragon catchers! You know as well as I do that people like Astrid, who have lost loved ones to wars with them, would never stand for this. Even if they find out Merida is the daughter of my parents and also their Chief's younger sister, they'd think she's a threat and have her banished - worse, killed even! You've got to promise me you won't tell anyone. I...I just got her back and I can't,' Hiccup sighed, and slumped down on a nearby table as he dropped his head in his hands.

'Hiccup my boy, I know this is hard for you - after all, Merida was, is my Goddaughter. And I-' Gobber began to speak, but was cut off by Hiccup's muffled gasp of;

'What?!'

'Aye, Stoic appointed me after the birth of you and your sister to become the Godfather of Merida. Yours was a friend who died a few years back, I'm not sure you'd remember him - you were little when he died.' Gobber revealed, he faced Hiccup, who had by now raised his head from his hands and gazed at his friend intently.

'So you won't tell?' Hiccup asked, but it was more of a pleased statement than a question, Hiccup knew he could count on Gobber.

'And they wondered why I was your dad's best mate...' Gobber chuckled to himself.

...

'Right this way, ma'm.' Snotlout declared, as he gave the door to Gobber's Workshop three sound knocks. Merida rolled her eyes at how cheesy the lad was, but tolerated him. After all, she knew there were worse men out there - after all, she had experienced some of the less than pleasant ones...who was she to complain if this Snotlout guy was a little obnoxious?

Seconds later, Hiccup was at the door. 'Come on right in guys. Alfifa, Gobber here is an expert blacksmith and can make anything - from harnesses to weapons, go ahead and ask.' Hiccup introduced after the man that was behind him had appeared. Gobber gave his ex apprentice a questioning glance, when Merida used her arms to request a bow and arrow. The pointed look he gave Hiccup clearly said; we'll talk about this later.

'Ah, so you're a tough lass - aren't you? I don't meet many women that like archery, it'll be a pleasure to make such a fine weapon for you young lady.' Gobber replied, smiling, he hobbled over to where he usually made the things people asked for, already he was preparing the bow - the arrows would come later on in the creation.

'Let's leave him to work, Alfifa. You'll get your bow tomorrow when it's finished - first thing,' Hiccup confirmed, in response Merida grinned wildly and did a little dance in silent glee.

'Should I escort the lady home?' Snotlout offered his arm, he gave Merida a rougish grin, already he was about to launch into a grand speech about how amazing a Viking he was, until Hiccup interrupted Snotlout.

'Uh, Snotlout, don't you have to do something?' He asked, and gave his self-serving friend a pointed gaze.

'Good Valhar, I guess you're right Chief. Meet me later at the arena,' Snotlout called, already he was running to the direction of where the dragons were kept.

'Come on, Merida. Let's go back home.' Hiccup whispered into his sister's ear after he wrapped an arm around hers. He had no idea that a certain girlfriend had seen the entire thing and saw red...

...

_waveringshadow: Thanks! I'm also hoping to intergrate figures of popular legands into the story too. Wales was ironically known as 'the land of dragons' back then, and there's a red dragon on my country's flag - so you can see partially as to why I love the movie How To Train Your Dragon, and I've got Celtic ancestry so of course I loved Brave. _

_Yeah, Berk's basically meant to be Viking England, Brave is obviously set in Scotland - so Merida's journey would make more sense, and Wales in England's other neighbor, so I was just itching to include Wales somehow into my story. Random Fact: Did you know that JJR Tolkien's Elvish language is based of Welsh? _


	6. Night Fury

_A/N: So here's chapter six of the Viking Archer. The story will gradually start to pick up from this point, and this is an important chapter. _

_Disclaimer: I do not own the How To Train Your Dragon franchise or the movie Brave. _

_Read and Review, please! I'd love to hear your opinions on the story. :)_

**Chapter 6 -** Night Fury

'Okay, you can do whatever you like here. I know you haven't been used to the house yet, since you were injured in your sick-room and everything, but now that you're better we can spend some more time with each-other,' Hiccup said as he allowed Merida to enter the house.

'That sounds great, Hiccup. I'm starving!' She stated loudly, immediately searching the house for food to eat. Soon enough, the smell of cooking engulfed her sense of smell and Merida sighed, delighted. She didn't think her mother Valka was the kind of woman who knew how to cook...she seemed more like her daughter in that sense.

'Hiccup, Merida, are you two home?' Valka called from the kitchen before her two children reached the threshold of the room.

'Yeah, mom. Merida met a couple of the Vikings today, she's a bit tired now - when's food ready?' Hiccup asked his mother, he leaned over the spit her mother was sitting by on a three legged stool.

'Oh, there was a hunting trip today and the men of the village offered some game they caught for us - they inquired upon Merida's health too. They didn't ask too many questions about her, which is a good start,' Valka revealed, she turned back to concentrate on turning the boar the Vikings had caught that afternoon.

'Did they use arrows? I can ask to join one of their hunting trips someday,' Merida asked, eyes alight with eagerness as she imagined how glorious it would be to hold her trademark weapon once more.

'Of course you can. One or two knuckleheads in the group may be a bit sore about a woman joining the hunting party, but they won't object - it's not entirely out of the question,' Valka replied, she turned back to face her children but still kept her right arm on the meal she was preparing. 'It's getting dark, if you're desperate to get your new bow and arrow then you'd better reach Gobber quickly.' She advised her youngest. Merida gave an excited squeak that was very unchararistic of her, her legs had Merida running out of the house like the wind and it took Hiccup a moment to realize she had already left.

'Uh, I'd better catch up to her before she gets lost in the village. Bye mom, see you!' Hiccup murmured and then went to run after his younger sister right after the words tumbled out of his mouth.

...

'I can't wait to use this tomorrow, he he I am so excited!' Merida squealed like a girly girl often would when receiving new clothes to wear or shoes - but in Merida's case, it was by having in her hands a weapon. One of the heavy beams that loomed above the pair, bathed in shadows and light from the fire at the centre of the front living room creaked. The sound caught Merida's attention, and she stopped in her tracks. 'What was that?' She whispered.

'Oh, it's nothing! You know, we're having the beams - er, replaced soon. Yeah, so don't be surprised if this happens a lot and -' Hiccup made up the first excuse that popped up in his head. But already, Merida had sprung into action when the black mass that was Toothless crossed a beam and shook the very foundation of the house.

'Get down!' Merida shoved Hiccup down, rolled across the floor and went into a crouching position. Within merely seconds or even less, Merida had gotten into position, had her weapon at the ready and released an arrow at Toothless. Before Hiccup could even muster the words to tell her to stop, Toothless let out a sound that could only convey agony as the arrow pierced his skin and lodged itself into his side.

'Hiccup, what's happened?' Valka cried, as she ran from the kitchen and to her son who was still on the floor, horrified at what Merida had done.

'That thing was in the house, I had to do something before it attacked! Did you expect me to sit here and let it kill us? Goddamnit I've fought demon bears, my instinct's pretty much to shoot in thid kind of situation,' Merida explained, utterly baffled as the what she supposed was a dragon (did they even exist?) sidled up to Hiccup with his head bowed.

'We need Toothless to be examined, and quickly! C'mon bud.' Hiccup encouraged, he held onto this 'Toothless' creature tightly as he made his way to the door.

'Wait, you've got a name for that thing?' Merida cried, wide-eyed as she moved in front of Hiccup.

'What's this about demon bears, Merida?' Valka's brows furrowed as she stared at her daughter. 'C'mon, you can tell us at the arena. We'll explain everything once Toothless here gets some medical attention,' she soothed as the family went to the building where Toothless would be healed, bathed in utter darkness during their journey.

'Look, it was all my fault. When I was sixteen, I was given three suitors I had no interest in - as a bonus for the dilemma, I did'nt want to get married at all. I was forced to accept that I was to be a wife, and then there was the Highland Games - it's an event where the suitors compete for the hand of their betrothed. I was, to put it bluntly - some award, is all. I was so angry that I had began to think, and found a loophole. It was clearly stated that the first born of each allied clan could compete for the maiden's hand, and I was the firstborn in my family,' Merida revealed as they all walked, listening intently to her tale. 'So I purposefully chose archery as the main event that would win my hand, as it was my strong point. When the final suitor competed however, the weedy Dingwall lad had a bulls-eye after my father's demand to shoot shocked him and he released the arrow. I was so incensed and filled with bitter anger that I told the spectators of my plans, I shot a bulls-eye at two of the previous targets, and my third arrow virtually split the third target's arrow and won the event. Later I had an argument with my mother, she said that I had caused embarrasment for everyone and in anger she threw my bow and arrow in the fire,' Merida said, Valka gasped as this was revealed. Merida regretted making the woman who had raised her seem so horrible at first, but this was the sttory in her own point of view. 'Afterwards, I took Angus and rode to the forest. Then after he threw me off, I was led by the Will O' The Wisps to the Witch's cottage,' she continued her tale, but Merida paused when the group reached the entrance doors to the centre of the arena.

'Darling, we're both listening to you. But for the moment, we have to check that no-one stayed behind and make sure people can't hear you speak,' Valka whispered, and used her arm to indicate to Merida that she should lower her voice level due to the fact that it was night-time and the Vikings were more prone to hearing their conversations than if it were daytime.

Merida nodded in response, she took a few tentative steps inside with the others. Hiccup had begun to light up the torches of fire within the arena and soon, it was bathed in a golden glow. Merida's eyes betrayed the sense of fear she kept buried, when she heard a series of roars and grunts that could only have come from creatures like the 'Toothless' figure she had just encountered.

'Okay, I don't think anyone's here. Check outside,' Valka informed Hiccup, and he scampered out. When he shut the doors to the arena behind him, he jumped when he spotted Astrid right next to him, leaning casually against the perimiter wall nearby with her trademark axe in one hand and a piece of flint in the other.

'Oh, evening Hiccup. Care to explain why this Alfifa person, is in fact a Scottish woman named Merida who is actually _not_ a mute? Oh yeah, I've been here for a while.' Astrid's voice seemed calm, but there was a dangerous edge to it that made Hiccup's stomach do flip-flops. 'Heard you've been pretty close to her too, and now that you're sneaking around with her - I can't help but think-' she began, but was cut off by Hiccup.

'Astrid, it's not what you think. She's my sister!' His voice was strained as he said the entire thing, and he visibly winced when for a while his girlfriend had stopped speaking.

'W-what?' Astrid chocked, eyes wide. How was this even _possible?_

'I only found out not too long ago myself, Astrid - so it's hard for me to swallow too. Merida's my twin, she was taken by the enemy during the war with the Scottish your mother died in twenty years ago, I'm so sorry Astrid. It's true, she was raised by Scottish nobles, she had no clue about her Viking roots until she found out by accident,' he said. The pair faced each-other, both wore expressions that contained mix emotions.

'This is so dangerous, Hiccup. What if the other Vikings find out? They won't want her...and don't be surprised if I find various ways to avoid her - like you said, she was raised by the very people who left me motherless for my entire life. How can I look at her the same way again?' Astrid sighed, as she leaned in to hug her boyfriend.

'Look, Astrid, I've been in a similar situation before. But think of it this way, it wasn't Merida's fault that she's been raised this way - and after all, she's a tomboy. She has no interest in their customs and traditions.' Hiccup cracked a grin after he said this, and recalled how grateful his sister was when Gobber handed Merida her brand new bow earlier. 'Oh, and there's one more thing you need to know. She kind of found out about dragons today...Toothless wasn't very discreet when we came home, she shot an arrow at him and he's injured now.' He told Astrid, she reacted by displaying concern for Toothless and the other dragons.

'Hiccup, she's dangerous. She shot a Night Fury without mercy, don't you think the safety of Berk's best kept secret is important to you at all?' She responded.

'I recall a certain blonde Viking swinging an axe at Toothless when she first met him.' Hiccup snorted, he smiled when he recalled the memory of their first flight together with each-other.

'Oh, alright. But we have to keep an eye on her, just because she's related to you doesn't mean I'll keep my guard down.' Astrid grunted in reply as the pair turned back to enter the arena where the dragons were kept.

**Responses to Reviews**

_waveringshadow:__ Thank you for the lovely review! Yes, I had a soft spot for Brave due to the Celtic connection and roots the movie had. And just as a teaser, I'll be adding Arthurian legands into the story. :) _


	7. Terror in the Shadows

_Author's Note: __Okay, so the climax to this chapter is going to be less tense than the previous one, because the next post will have a whole load of action in it (yes, I can already imagine you lot performing a happy dance). The first batch of chapters are the ingredients to a big melting pot - which is going to be the adventure and angst. I'm focusing on fluffy moments now between the Haddock family, because I don't want just angst, but there will be a lot of it when everything goes boom. _

_Disclaimer:__ I do not own the How To Train Your Dragon franchise or the movie Brave. _

_Read and Review, please! I'd love to read your opinions concerning the story. :)_

**_Chapter 7_**

'Look, she's really nice, Astrid. You've gotta' trust her!' Hiccup was desperate to have his girlfriend reconsider - she was being irrational, for Valhar's sake.

'Well, sorry if I'm paranoid. You might want to play happy families, but I'm not willing to put all of Berk including the dragons at risk, all because this stranger is your flesh and blood. Now, let me interrogate her, or so help me -' Astrid was straight up in his face, blue eyes dangerously narrowed before she went into the arena to face Merida.

'Astrid, just wait up a second!' Hiccup called, his voice was hoarse after all of the arguing he went through just now with her. His hand went to drag along his face, he was shattered. The very thought of Astrid drawing away the sister he had only just met terrified him.

'Look, gingie. Everyone else might think you're all peaches and cream, but I know your true identity. You don't fool me for a single second! You're a Celt, you can't be trusted to live amongst Vikings.' Astrid was now eye to eye with Merida, the other girl's baby blues were drawn into a confused and hurt frown.

'Hey lady, I ran away - plus, I never was a Celtic woman in spirit or body...I've always been, well, different. A life of matrimony never was on the cards for me, but I had a duty to my Kingdom. And when I found out I was a stolen Viking child, I just cut off the ties to the family that dragged me down,' Merida revealed, she couldn't help but think again of her Scottish family back home. _No, this is my family now. This is your home, now go live in it, _a voice in the back of Merida's head reminded.

'How should I know whether you're lying or not?' Astrid let out in a growl, no - a threatening _snarl_ to be honest. Sure Astrid was known to be aggressive, but Hiccup had almost forgotten this side to her. After all, Astrid _was_ his girlfriend, she had no reason to be hostile to him.

'Because I know a child of mine when I see one, Astrid. Now chin up dear, and stop blaming Merida for your past,' Valka emerged from her position from inside a dragon's cage, her whole demeanor altogether spelled disapproval for her future daughter in law.

'Excuse me?! Never mind, I'm leaving,' Astrid swiveled around after she shook her head, not used to being spoken to so sternly by Valka.

'You...you won't tell anyone, will you? Please, Astrid, you have to understand! She's family,' Hiccup's voice was a mere whisper now as he stared at his sweetheart's retreating form. She stopped, turned back and told him with narrowed eyes; 'I thought I was family, Hiccup. Clearly, you need to sort out your priorities.' Astrid's opinion was clear - despite her connection to Hiccup, Merida had to _earn_ her trust before she handed it on a silver plater for her. Astrid turned on her heel and left the arena without a single glance back at her boyfriend.

'I'll just go and talk to her, mom -' Hiccup was about to run off after Astrid, but his mother placed a hand on his elbow.

'Don't pester her, darling. She's had enough for tonight...Astrid will see sense, just give her time,' Valka's voice was soothing, and turned the aftermath of the situation from tense to calm in seconds. 'As for you, young lady, you still have some explaining to do.' Her expression became stern as she stared at Merida, who seemed quite taken aback after all of the attention was brought onto Astrid previously.

'Alright, I'll spit it all out. But after I tell you what happened when I was sixteen, do you promise to say what all of this 'dragon' business is about?' Merida had put on a serious demeanor to intimidate her brother into making some form of a deal. She was sure he would agree to it anyway, but still - she'd been recently feeling much too submissive and obedient under his care for her liking. She had to blow up some steam and be herself, or she'd snap. Merida's mouth widened into a full on smile, as she thought of going horse riding for the first time since she'd arrived in Berk in what seemed to her like forever ago.

'Of course.' Hiccup replied, outstretching his arm to shake on it with his sibling, Merida took his hand and gave it one firm shake of agreement. If one were to spy on the family, there'd be instead of boring negotiations - interesting tales and tidbits of witches, dragons and other mythical beings brought into play.

...

'So, can you tell me more about dragons then? I'd like one,' Merida trilled, absolutely delighted at the prospect of being able to fly. She'd seen many eagles and birds on the highlands back at home and from the windows of her castle, and she wanted so badly to just fly away and touch the sky.

'I'm not sure you can have one yet, Merida. You need to prove to the villagers that you're trustworthy enough to keep Berk's secret. Even if you're a mute, you'd be able to expose them in many different scenarios,' Hiccup explained as he opened the hatch and swung out the door that Merida assumed belonged to one of the countless dragons the Berkians kept.

'Alright, fine. But in the evenings, I'll be careful...can I spend some time with them? It's just, I think it'd be good if I gain the trust of the dragons too,' Merida asked, she bit her lip and her eyes trailed to the floor. Would Hiccup agree to the suggestion? Maybe he'd think it wasn't a good idea...

'I think it's a perfect idea, Merida. But yes, we have to be very careful and make sure you're not going to get caught - or our cover is blown! Now, I suggest we start small,' He responded eagerly, glad that his younger sister was getting the right idea.

'I'd better leave you both to it, then? Don't stay up too late, son - remember, you still have your Chieftain duties to perform.' Valka reminded, before she gave her two children an affectionate hug each and left to go back home.

When Valka had closed the entrance to the arena shut, Hiccup started to croon at a dragon that Merida could not see, the flames licked at the door to where the beast was kept but it was out of sight - hidden in the dark shadows that framed certain parts of the arena. She squinted to try and see what kind of creature was kept inside, but it was a fruitless attempt.

'Well Merida, this here is a Terrible Terror, the smallest of all dragons. Now don't be put off by it's size, they were once one of the most feared of dragons back when Berk used to attack them.' Hiccup explained to his sister, once he had managed to adjust the dragon into the right position as he held it, as carefully as if it were a babe.

Merida wordlessly outstretched her arms - they trembled slightly, but she was determined to tame the beast. She saw the Night Fury, Toothless watch her with a sharp eye. _Of course he isn't too fond of_ _me, I did shoot an arrow at Toothless and injured him.'_ Merida mentally sighed. She giggled when the dragon was in her arms and had begun to snuggle into her chest.

'Yeah, despite their nature, the 'Terrible Terrors' are right softies. I guess they're a lot like cats in a sense,' Hiccup filled the silence with his tidbits of information about the kind of dragon in his sister's arms. He couldn't help but smile, once he'd seen how easily smitten the dragon, who had been named Amund which meant terror was with her.

'Since I can't have my own dragon yet, can I help look after Amund then during the evening hours?' Merida offered, but in a sense that she was expecting some sort of permission from her elder brother.

'Sure, sis. You can take care of him.' Hiccup replied. The two of them were silent after he spoke, and realised that for the first time he had displayed some sort of affection via a sisterly nickname. Both smiled at each-other - it wasn't much to anyone else, but to them, it was a step forward to a life long friendship and siblinghood.

_Author's Note:__ Updates every week (if not...then I have plenty of excuses! School, school, and school - ALevels, bleugh) _

**Responses to Reviews **

_RandominatorOwl: _Y_eah, she needs time to adjust to the whole dragon thing - which is why I'm not going to give her one until later on. Plus, she's not supposed to know about dragons, she has to go and see them when everyone's sleeping so she won't get caught. Also, the story doesn't have a crap-load of action yet because I'm concentrating on the family - but yes, there will be a pick in the pace (on the next chapter, in fact). _


	8. First Hunt

_Author's Note:__ Hey guys! *gets pelted with rotten fruit* *ducks* I know, I was supposed to update ages ago. But now that my final piece for art has finished and my exams are done and over with, I have a lot more free time now. And my Christmas gift to you is a very, very long chapter that I hope will satisfy you! ^^ Now, I've made it quick so go ahead and read the damn thing ;) _

_Disclaimer:__ I do not own the How to Train Your Dragon franchise or the movie Brave, I only own the plot of this story _

_Review please, I love reading people's opinions on the story! :) _

**Chapter 08: First Hunt **

Are you _sure_ you'll be alright sweetheart?' Valka asked, once Merida checked her satchel and replied with an eager nod - the hunting party stood outside, already most had mounted their horses. Usually the men would go and ride their pet dragons, but since information on the creatures were strictly prohibited to outsiders they'd decided to go and hunt the old fashioned way.

'Chief, we'll take good care of her, now come on miss.' The ring-leader, Haldor called as he flawlessly mounted his own steed, which was a tall equine with a grey and milk white spotted coat. Merida bowed her head in respect before she turned around to leave her mother and brother, needing to constantly remind herself that she wasn't supposed to be publicly affectionate with them or the Vikings would become suspicious - she needed to display a formal acquaintanceship with them to convince everyone that she had no connection to the chieftain's family.

'Would the lil' lady like some help?' A familiar voice snickered, causing Merida to freeze mid-step and ball her hands into fists. She turned around to see Snotlout on the back of a maroon stallion, looking unnervingly smug as he wiggled his dark brows and offered an extended arm.

Merida whipped around from the offending person, walked to the spare horse that had been given to her - actually, she sprinted towards her steed, grabbed the reins from her left hand, placed her left foot in the left stirrup and in a quick flourish, grabbed the saddle's horn with her right hand and sprang upward. She swung her right leg up and over the back of the horse. She landed in the saddle a bit too roughly, but Merida bit back a flinch which made her give the hostile effect she wanted anyway.

'Impressive, I don't meet many a female that knows how to ride. Heard you can shoot too - hm...you might not be such a burden after all,' Haldor mused, leaving the girl absolutely dumb-struck. She wished she could retort some snarky quips, but even if she could subdue her accent and speak Merida knew better than to talk down to someone with so much respect in the Viking community - Haldor had fought and survived many wars, and was said to have saved Stoic's life during a war once, so it wouldn't really do to turn her nose down at the man, even if his intended complement insulted the woman.

Merida slung the pack that carried her bows and arrows across her left shoulder whilst she tied her pack at the back of her saddle. She'd been itching to use them, but refrained from showing off until the moment was right - she had to show these guys exactly what she was made of.

A twinge of longing to be on her old horse Angus crept up at her, and felt guilty when she immediately found herself giving an apple she had on her person to gain the horse's trust - it was a silver, skinny equine, and Merida assumed she was the youngest out of the crowd of proud adults, for they often swayed their heads to intimidate the youngling. It reminded Merida of the times when she had to attend events full of proud nobles that just turned their noses up at her for her tomboyish behavior.

Merida patted the steed's neck, and decided that she'd claim ownership of the horse if there was nobody to look after it. After all, if Angus was found he'd surely be slaughtered - anything Scottish was scrutinized, and that included the animals...the horses in particular the Vikings were said to fear, for during battle their kin's skulls and rotting heads were often seen decorating the Celtic horses on the field or during raids. She had to just hope for the best that Angus was far away from this place by now.

'Her name's Tyra, by the way. She was born premature, but look at her now - off to go hunting with the rest of em'. I was the one that looked after 'er as a foal,' a man with flecks of grey in his dark hair and vibrant blue eyes told a surprised Merida, who couldn't help but allow a smile to tug across her features as the group of hunters gathered to leave for the morning.

'Ah, stop it with your soppy stories and leave the little lady alone. She's enough of a nuisance as it is, can't have her getting too attached to the group before she gets any ideas.' A gruff voice interrupted the sweet moment between Merida and the man, causing the girl to shoot the speaker a dirty glare - but she faltered, and mentally gasped when she saw how much the older adult resembled a certain annoying Viking.

Was he Snotlout's_ father?_

She turned her head around, only to see the afore-mentioned young man slap a hand to his forehead once he was caught staring at her after his father's admonished snort directed towards her. Yep, they were _certainly_ alike...but Snotlout seemed to be in a friendlier frame of mind, despite his obvious ego.

Merida only wished she could speak her mind in these kinds of situations, but that was out of the question - the fact constantly plagued her thoughts and she grew frustrated at certain times.

The group had now started to move, and Merida couldn't help but turn around and give an energetic wave to her mother and brother, who amiably returned with more casual ones - the pair stood atop a ridge overlooking the hunting party, who had gathered at a wide fork on a dirt road that was surrounded by many houses, with families standing on the thresholds to wish the group good luck on their trip.

'Alright, miss - we're gonna get into a full gallop, but we've got this fella right here to show you the ropes and fall behind with you, if you want to take it easy and...nevermind,' Haldor dead-panned, his squared shoulders had slumped down, and he gave an annoyed frown as Merida took Taya's reins and had the young equine prance around in a little trot and circle around the group. 'Well, I guess you can handle yourself pretty well on a horse, Lady Alfifa, now let's go guys,' he continued once he'd regained composure. With her head held up high and mighty, Merida kicked Taya's hide and went into a full gallop with the rest of the men. She reached back to grab an arrow, whilst her right hand clutched the newly crafted arrow made by Gobber, her godfather apparently.

Once they were deep into the forest, the group slowed down and fell silent. They needed to be as quiet as possible if they were to catch any good game, and they all needed as much energy as possible for the afternoon.

Quite a few rustling noises could be heard alongside visual evidence of thriving wildlife, giving the men much to be eager about. Many bows and arrows were drawn at the ready, but their smiles dropped when they realized the rustling did not belong to an animal.

It was an ambush.

Dragons flew from the skies above, destroying the placid forest scenery in an instant rush of flame and ash.

'The Lava Louts! Quick, fall back - fall back, someone, go get the chief!' Haldor called as he drew two swords from his waist and swiftly slashed them across the air to get some of the opposing men to back away.

Merida could see from her position on top of Tyra that her hunting party was surrounded, and she saw the ring-leader sit upon what she recalled from her brief pep-talk by Hiccup as a Monstrous Nightmare. She quietly snorted at the irony of it.

'Haldor, good to see you. Good to see you, how's the new chief doing in Berk?' A young, good looking man asked the leader of Berk's hunting party with a lethal smile that was altogether confusing - half pleasant, but half fake and misleading. The man's grey eyes locked onto Haldor's own, the Monstrous Nightmare was still aflame, and Merida assumed that the dragon scales that served as armour protected its' rider from being burnt.

'Our chief's doing fine, Einar. Now go home, we don't do well with trespassers,' Haldor responded calmly, but his clenched jaw and weary disposition confirmed that on the inside he was seething. Merida watched the exchange and grew more anxious as the conversation continued - her companions were nervous too, and kept shooting quick glances every now and then since she was supposed to be in the dark in all of this.

'Such a pity, a real shame. I thought Chief Hiccup would want to negotiate on matters concerning the dragon egg he found not too long ago...after all, I could use a Night Fury.' Einar retorted, and his smile became a harsh grin. His eyes swept across Haldor's company of hunters all with their weapons drawn, but he had to blink a few times in astonishment as he spotted Merida on top of Tyra. 'Well well well, Haldor, who is this? I knew you had a lot more respect for females than my tribe do, but to let a _woman_ hunt with the men? I am _very_ surprised,' Einar admonished with a snicker, keeping his beefy arms folded tight against his chest as he held back a laugh.

'Those are just rumors, Einar and you know it. Toothless is the only Night Fury left. And this is Alfifa, a mute Viking noblemaiden - she's under the care of the Chief and his mother, Valka. Her homeland was raided by the Celts and she received sanctuary in our village. Alfifa has since healed from her wounds and is recovering in Berk,' Haldor revealed, hoping that the brutish man's attention would draw away from information on a Night Fury egg and instead shall fall upon the strange woman that even he knew hardly anything but the basics about. 'And after all, it was on the chief's insistence that she'd be a good addition to the hunting party. Not everyone here agrees,' Haldor paused for a moment, and turned his head back to look at his friends - some grumbled under their breath in obvious agreement whilst others stayed silent, 'but I've yet to see the woman disappoint me, she's clearly very skilled.' He finished, and saw the girl bring her horse next to Haldor's own, clearly she had gained confidence during the confrontation.

'Well, aren't you Berkians just full of surprises?' Einar muttered, chuckling under his breath as he motioned for his Monstrous Nightmare to stop setting itself on fire. 'But so, am, I!' he growled, separating the syllables as he strained to force Merida off of her horse and into his own grasp.

'Let her go, Einar! I swear to Valhar, you'll never harm that girl so long as I'm here,' Hiccup called from the air, landing between Haldor and Einar with a determined scowl. He dismounted from Toothless, and ignored the stare the treacherous man gave towards his peg-leg - most enemies thought his handicap was a weakness, but now with almost six years of practice it was as good as any real leg.

'Now, tell me about the egg or I slice open the fair maiden's neck! C'mon, don't be shy. I had a spy infiltrate the last meeting, so I know you're lying. Tell me where it is,' Merida saw the surrounding men falter in their attack, look her up her down and muse on whether a stranger was worth the risk of a bloodbath - the complete opposite in what Hiccup appeared to be doing.

She took this moment of hesitation and Einar's drawn focus from her to elbow the man in the jaw. She slid off of the Monstrous Nightmare gracelessly (after all, who got off of a dragon every day?) and landed onto the ground, and now she was glad she'd worn proper Viking clothes on this trip. She extended her arm back and reached for an arrow, upon that moment of instinct she pointed an arrow at an attacking man's forehead and hit him smack bang on target. The shock of it caused Merida to falter, but she reigned her emotions in and aimed an Einar, who threw his hands up and gave the warrior a defeated glare.

'Fine, whore, I'll leave. But I'm not done here yet, and I will not _rest_ until I get my hands on that Night Fury egg. And I'll get my revenge, you'll wish you'd stayed indoors like a good girl,' Einar growled, before he soared into the air with his companions and disappeared into the clouds.

'Merida, are you alright?' Hiccup gasped, and ran towards her so he could help the maiden who was currently bent over one leg. She was short of breath, her blue eyes unable to move away from the gruesome image - a man with an arrow lodged deep into his forehead, his face equal to that of a fallen warrior (which he technically was, but the stranger must have been some kind of a thug if he lived with the Lava Louts). His face was as pale as chalk, and the face seemed so serene and peaceful that Merida seemed to suddenly forget that merely two minutes ago the guy had tried to kill her.

Merida crawled over to the body, wracking in silent sobs as she realized that she'd killed a person for the first time.

Merida didn't even protest when her older brother picked her up in his arms, allowing the shell-shocked girl to wrap her arms around him in a tight embrace. She'd gone through so much, Hiccup mused, and thought back to what she'd said about the failed wedding. But he shook his head and brought his focus onto the topic at hand - coughing lightly, he said clearly to the remaining men;

'You guys go ahead, and I'll return Alfifa to the village...after all, she probably didn't expect her first kill to be a human. I'll inform the council of what happened, and I'll try to gather the Berkians and organize a meeting for us all, now go.' Hiccup announced, and with the final words said Toothless shot up like a bullet into the air and headed home to Berk.

**Responses to Reviews **

_allison daughter of apollo:_ _sorry I haven't been updating as much as I should have, but now that I've finished my final piece for art I now have a lot more free time on my hands (and don't get me started on exams!). And thanks! What are you looking forward to seeing in the story? :) _


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